Delhi invokes GRAP-2 as air quality reaches very poor category
The Commission for Air Quality Management has implemented Stage 2 restrictions to mitigate rising pollution levels across the national capital.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has invoked Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi as the average Air Quality Index (AQI) reached the "very poor" category with a reading of 324, according to The Hindu.
The CAQM stated that the AQI rose from 117 on October 31, 2026, to 261 on November 1, and further increased to 324 on November 2, 2026, due to unfavourable meteorological conditions.
Under the Stage 2 restrictions, Delhi-registered petrol and diesel cars meeting BS-IV standards or above with a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate are permitted. Electric vehicles, CNG-powered cars, and BS-VI compliant commercial vehicles are also allowed, while ambulances, fire brigade tenders, and police vehicles are exempt.
Authorities have restricted petrol and diesel cars registered outside Delhi that are BS-IV or below from entering the capital. Additionally, the GNCTD and NCR State governments must stagger timings for public offices and municipal bodies in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Buddha Nagar.
Enforcement has intensified at city borders, with authorities checking 8,263 vehicles on November 2 and turning back 1,228, according to Urban Acres. On November 1, approximately 7,249 vehicles were checked, resulting in 714 vehicles being sent back and 38 end-of-life vehicles being seized.
To manage the pollution, the CAQM has also banned the use of coal and firewood, including in restaurant tandoors, and mandated increased mechanical road cleaning and water sprinkling.